NFL Wire News

NFL notebook: Broncos acquire TE Davis from 49ers

The Denver Broncos acquired veteran tight end Vernon Davis from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2017. The teams will also swap late-round picks in the 2016.

Davis, 31, reportedly had a verbal confrontation with San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick in a team meeting earlier this season, and he has just 18 catches for 194 yards and no touchdowns.

The 10-year-veteran has 441 career receptions for 5,640 yards and 55 touchdowns — all franchise records for a tight end. He twice had 13 touchdowns in a season, most recently in 2013. He has twice been named to the Pro Bowl.

Davis had spent his entire career with the 49ers, who selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2006 draft.

–Broncos rookie left tackle Ty Sambrailo is out for the season with a shoulder injury that will require surgery.

Sambrailo was thrust into the starting lineup when left tackle Ryan Clady was lost for the season to injury in the preseason.

–The 49ers signed running back Shaun Draughn to a one-year deal, the team announced.

This season, Draughn played in five games with the Browns before being waived on October 20, 2015. He had two rushing attempts for 10 yards for the Browns.

–The Seahawks announced wide receiver Ricardo Lockette was scheduled to undergo surgery Monday to stabilize his neck after suffering ligament damage in a violent collision on special teams during Sunday’s 13-12 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Lockette was taken to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas after being removed from the field at AT&T Stadium by stretcher. The Seahawks later announced that Lockette had suffered a concussion on the play that occurred shortly before halftime.

–The Pittsburgh Steelers placed running back Le’Veon Bell on season-ending injured reserve due a right knee injury suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bell injured his knee in the second quarter in Sunday’s 16-10 loss to the Bengals.

In six games this season, Bell totaled 556 rushing yards on 113 carries with three touchdowns, along with 24 receptions for 136 yards.

–Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte likely dodged a season-ending injury when he absorbed a direct hit on his right knee in the second quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

FOX Sports reported Forte has a sprained MCL, and the Bears don’t believe there is any ACL damage. Depending on the severity of the sprain, Forte could miss a month.

Running back Montee Ball could sign with the Bears.

— San Diego Chargers receiver Keenan Allen will miss an unspecified amount of time after suffering a kidney injury in Sunday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Allen suffered the injury while making an acrobatic 13-yard touchdown catch late in the first half. Allen’s condition reportedly worsened on the flight home and he was checked into a San Diego hospital.

Allen has caught 67 passes for 725 yards and four touchdowns.

–An MRI exam confirmed that New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has a torn ligament in his non-throwing thumb and will eventually require surgery, coach Todd Bowles announced.

The Jets didn’t immediately rule Fitzpatrick out of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bowles indicated he would likely wait until Wednesday before making any status updates.

Backup quarterback Geno Smith injured his left shoulder during Sunday’s contest and also could miss the Jacksonville game.

–Buffalo Bills wide receiver Percy Harvin, who missed the recent trip to London, met with team doctors to re-evaluate his hip injury, according to reports.

“He’s in the building, I think,” coach Rex Ryan said during Monday’s news conference. “He’s obviously in the training room a little today. We’ll see how it goes, but I know he wants to play and wants to contribute to this team.”

That means Mariota is likely to return to the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints and that Zach Mettenberger’s stint as the Titans’ starting quarterback is over.

Mariota injured his knee in Week 6, causing him to miss the past two games. The Titans not only lost both of those games, but did very little offensively. Tennessee lost to the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans and managed just 13 points in those two games combined.

–The NFL’s flexible scheduling protocol has led to the Nov. 22 contest between the Cincinnati Bengals and host Arizona Cardinals to be moved to Sunday night and televised at 8:30 p.m. ET by NBC.

The Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers were originally scheduled for the nationally televised game. That contest has been moved to 4:05 p.m. ET and will be televised by CBS.

The Nov. 22 contest between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings was also moved. That game will be televised at 4:25 ET by Fox.